The present invention relates to a measuring device for detecting signals, particularly signals in an ignition system of an internal combustion engine, with a signal line and a measuring electrode connected to the signal line for coupling a signal to be detected into the signal line.
Measuring devices of this type are known from the related art. They have the disadvantage that ignition systems or other systems to be investigated that are installed in inaccessible areas are difficult or impossible to reach. It is therefore often necessary to remove the components to be investigated, which is time-consuming and increases the costs to perform measurements on components of this type.
The object of the present invention, therefore, is to improve a measuring device of the type described initially such that components installed in inaccessible areas can also be easily reached or need not be removed to be measured, and such that the measuring device is adaptable to many different installation situations and components to be measured.
This object is attained with the measuring device described initially by the fact that a flexible tip is provided. The flexible tip makes it possible to adapt the measuring device to the spacial conditions of the components to be measured and to the installation space around it. The inventive measuring device also makes it possible to easily and quickly adapt the measuring device to the shape and size of the components to be measured, so that, when switching between several different objects to be measured, little effort is required to adapt the measuring device.
A very advantageous embodiment of the inventive measuring device is characterized by the fact that the length of the tip is variable.
A further variant of the present invention with which the tip is modular in design is also very advantageous. The modular design of the tip enables an even more flexible adaptation of the measuring device to the particular object to be measured. With a tip having a modular design, it is also possible to adjust the length of the tip freely, e.g., by adding or removing individual modules of the tip as necessary. The length of the tip is preferably specified at the time of manufacture, although it is also possible to change the length in the field.
A further embodiment of the present measuring device is characterized by the fact that the tip includes tubular segments; one end of a segment is pivotably inserted into another end of another segment. This ensures maximum flexibility of the measuring device and the tip of the measuring device, with a simple design.
A particularly advantageous configuration of the tubular segments is described in European patent application 0 167 063 A1, the entirety of which is included in the present description. Similar commercial products are known, e.g., under the brand name LOC-LINE, from Lockwood Products (vgl. http://www.loc-line.com, http://www.loc-line.de). These tubular segments are known for use, e.g., to transport fluids, e.g., cooling water for machine tools. They are available in different sizes.